7 September 2008 – 4 January 2009

The Magic of Things

Still-Life Painting 1500-1800

The fascination of still lifes lies in their close-up view of a few, often unchanging objects rendered with extreme painterly sophistication. The still life, once on the lower rungs of the artistic ladder, was often used to demonstrate an artist’s skills, the appeal and value of a work being based on the quality of the composition, the meaningful combination of objects and the refinement of the brushstroke. In early modern times, however, the still life became much more than a mere exercise in style. It often served to make a moral statement and to encourage reflection. The Vanitas in particular was meant to remind us of the fleeting nature of life, a universal thought individually rendered by the objects chosen to symbolize it.

Address

Kunstmuseum Basel
St. Alban Graben 16
Basel
phone +41 61 206 62 62
http://www.kunstmuseumbasel.ch

Opening Hours

Tuesday-Sunday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., closed on Monday

Description of the Museum

The Kunstmuseum houses the Gemäldegalerie (Painting Collection) and the Kupferstichkabinett (Department of Prints and Drawings). The main focus is on paintings and drawings by artists active in the Upper Rhine region between 1400 and 1600 and on the art of the 19th to 21th centuries.

The Kunstmuseum possesses the worlds largest collection of works by the Holbein family.

Within 10 days
starting exhibitions
ending exhibitions